Tag Archives: Federal Election 2015

Paul Godfrey, president and CEO of Postmedia newspapers. (TORONTO STAR / FILE)There’s an interesting discussion going on in what’s left of the newspaper business in Canada. The largest group of papers, including the Leader Post and the Star Phoenix in Saskatchewan, are part of Postmedia. The CEO is 76-year-old Paul Godfrey. He once ran the Blue Jays and the Toronto Sun, and he has been the biggest promoter of trying to get the National Football League to put a team in Toronto.

Godfrey is also a longtime prominent supporter of the Conservatives. In the final days of the recent election campaign, he sent out an order to all of the Post Media papers. They were expected to endorse Stephen Harper and the Tories on their editorial pages. They all did as they were told, but it made very little difference as Justin Trudeau and the Liberals won an overwhelming majority.

NEEPAWA, Man. — In the news business, we often see people’s disengagement with their greater community. It can get depressing when it seems as though people just don’t care — they don’t care about organizations or events, they don’t care about politics, policies or elections. They read the stories, but they don’t step up.

But this week was different.

This week, we saw the people of the Neepawa area actually get out and show support for what they feel is important.

Liberal leader and incoming prime minister Justin Trudeau makes his way to the stage with wife Sophie Gregoire at Liberal party headquarters in Montreal early Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson)

Liberal leader and incoming prime minister Justin Trudeau speaks to supporters at Liberal party headquarters in Montreal early Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson)

OTTAWA – It seems somehow fitting that the son of the man who first fired up political passion in Stephen Harper should be the person to usher him out of politics.

In besting Harper, Justin Trudeau has created Canada’s first national political dynasty, following in the footsteps of his late father, Pierre Trudeau, one of the country’s most revered — and reviled — prime ministers.

In the process, he’s scored another record for the history books, vaulting his party from a distant third place into first in a single election. And now he’ll be the first prime minister to return to the home where he grew up, 24 Sussex Drive.

Conservative leader Stephen Harper along with his wife Laureen wave to supporters in Monday, Oct. 19, 2015 in Calgary. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)

CALGARY – Stephen Harper’s tenure as Canada’s sixth-longest serving prime minister came to an abrupt end Monday night as his party was reduced to opposition status and he prepared to step down as its chief.

Harper didn’t tell the hundreds of supporters gathered around him at the Calgary Convention Centre of his decision, instead using his final public remarks this campaign to celebrate the legacy of the party he built nearly from scratch a decade ago and will now have to rebuild anew.

“We put everything on the line. We gave everything we have to give and we have no regrets whatsoever,” he said.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau makes his way through the crowd during a campaign stop Friday, October 16, 2015 in Richmond Hill, Ont. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson)

OTTAWA – Just watch him.

Ready or not, a Trudeau is returning to 24 Sussex Drive, completing the first father-son dynasty in Canada’s federal government history.

Justin Trudeau, 43, will become Canada’s next prime minister after his party steamrolled to a stunning majority victory Monday night following the longest and most expensive general election in modern times.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, left to right, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair chat prior to the Munk Debate on foreign affairs, in Toronto, on September 28, 2015. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette)

NEEPAWA, Man. — Once upon a time, in this country’s early days, most Canadians lived outside of the cities. A hundred or so years ago, Canadians predominantly lived on farms or in small farming, fishing, logging or mining towns. However, during the 1900s, many Canadians left these rural areas for the cities, which offered a better life, characterized by electricity, indoor plumbing and a social life not possible when town was so far away. For much of the last century, young Canadians were encouraged to head to the “city” for opportunity.

Today, we see the effects of this in the ghost towns and abandoned yard sites, declining school enrolment and in struggling businesses.

NDP leader Tom Mulcair speaks to supporters a town hall meeting Thursday, October 8, 2015 in Toronto. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz)

NEEPAWA, Man. — Once upon a time, in this country’s early days, most Canadians lived outside of the cities. A hundred or so years ago, Canadians predominantly lived on farms or in small farming, fishing, logging or mining towns. However, during the 1900s, many Canadians left these rural areas for the cities, which offered a better life, characterized by electricity, indoor plumbing and a social life not possible when town was so far away. For much of the last century, young Canadians were encouraged to head to the “city” for opportunity.

Today, we see the effects of this in the ghost towns and abandoned yard sites, declining school enrolment and in struggling businesses.

A campaign sign in the Winnipeg South riding denouncing Conservative candidate Gordon Giesbrecht’s comments made about abortion. (CHRISD.CA)(CHRISD.CA)

WINNIPEG — A federal candidate running for the Conservative Party in the Winnipeg South riding is facing further backlash amid controversial comments made about abortion in 2009.

Campaign signs for Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht have been plastered with smaller “My body, my choice” signs throughout the riding.

The criticism comes from comments Giesbrecht made in the video six years ago comparing abortion to 9/11 and the Holocaust.

The two-minute video was posted to Saskatoon’s Horizon College and Seminary’s blog, in which Gisbrecht says the following:

“Six million Jews were killed in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. That’s a staggering number, but get this: since abortion became legal in North America several decades ago, over 42 million unborn babies have been aborted.”